your most incredible food memories.
Daisy sent in her food memory of her Nan’s
most incredible macaroni cheese.
Fantastic Daisy! So we’re gonna recreate that now
for all of you guys to see and enjoy.
By handing over to the one and only
John Quilter, The Food Busker.
Thanks, Jamie!
I can’t wait to recreate Daisy’s dish from her nan.
If you want to learn more
about these amazing food stories
and have the opportunity to win Hotpoint kit
then click through to the food memories hub
and check them out.
But for now let’s talk about Daisy.
Her job was a corporal in the army
and she fixed the electrics in tanks.
How cool is that?
Whenever she was coming home
she was always looking forward to her nan’s
macaroni and cheese.
We’ve spoken to Daisy’s nan, Betty, and she’s given us
this closely guarded family recipe.
It’s got all the usual cheesy gooey loveliness.
It’s got a few twists in there as well.
Tomatoes, mushrooms,
and weirdly, it’s served with chipolata.
Yeah I know right.
Daisy’s nan used mushrooms in a mac and cheese
and I totally get that.
Mushrooms and cheese goes so well together.
I’m using portobello mushrooms.
Slice these up and turn on my Hotpoint induction hob.
We want a tablespoon of olive oil into the pan.
Get your mushrooms in.
Nan used to put tinned tomatoes in,
but I’m gonna use sun-dried tomatoes,
Daisy, trust me you’re gonna love this.
Let’s get some thyme in there.
Make sure everything’s glistening and cooked down.
Then set it aside.
I like to give my mac and cheese a really crispy top.
Betty didn’t do this, but it all starts with bacon.
Cut your bacon into thin strips
and cook it in the same pan for three to four minutes.
And then I’m gonna put a tablespoon of the oil from the
sun-dried tomatoes in the pan.
Add our breadcrumbs in to absorb all those flavours.
Let’s get some parsley in there.
Get it nice and crispy and set that aside.
If you’re like me the key to a great mac and cheese
is that creamy, cheesy, stringy, lovely sauce,
and according to Daisy, Nan’s didn’t disappoint.
So let’s make the cheese sauce.
In a large pan on a medium heat
melt 80g of unsalted butter.
Add in 80g of plain flour to make the roux.
You want to gently cook it and not let it catch or burn.
Add a litre of milk, gradually
stirring continuously so you don’t get any lumps.
When I make mac and cheese I use three cheeses.
Emmental, gruyere and cheddar.
Let’s get 50g of each into the sauce.
Cheddar gives it a real creamy depth,
that Emmental gives it that beautiful stringiness
and then the gruyere is intense.
Delicious.
Now we’re going to add a little bit of pepper in there
and then we’re gonna get the water on
to cook the pasta.
Now what’s great about Hotpoint’s induction
it will heat that water up super fast.
Lightly season with salt
and put 300g of macaroni pasta into the water.
I’m only gonna cook it for four minutes
to get it nice and al dente
because then it’s going in the oven
and that will finish off the cooking process.
Let’s strain it.
Let’s incorporate the pasta into the sauce.
Get the mixture in to our baking tray.
We’re only doing half because
we’ve now got our layer of tomato and mushroom
and then another layer,
the rest of the macaroni cheese on.
Then the final layer of tomato and mushrooms.
It works so well
And then our breadcrumb mixture on the top.
Now let’s get this beauty in my Hotpoint oven.
It’s so important to have a good oven
so you get that even flow
so this work of art
turns out bubbly and crunchy and delicious.
Oh my goodness. Oh it’s gonna be so good.
And don’t forget, it’s served with chipolatas!
Look at it.
All makes sense.
Cheesy, gooey loveliness.
The tomato and the mushroom.
Oh like a really meaty layer actually,
and then you’ve got the really crunchy breadcrumbs
and then,
Betty was right,
that chipolata just makes so much sense.
Daisy, I hope you like my take on your Nan’s classic.
It’s delicious.
Now, to help Daisy cook it,
Hotpoint have given her an oven,
and if you want to get a whole raft
of amazing Hotpoint kit
then click on the link.
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